1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains generally to handling equipment for a shipping container for nuclear fuel components and, in particular, to an up-ender device to facilitate translation of such a shipping container between a horizontal and vertical orientation.
2. Related Art
In the shipping and storage of unirradiated nuclear fuel elements and assemblies, which contain large quantities of and/or enrichments of fissile material, U235, it is necessary to assure that criticality is avoided during normal use, as well as under potential accident conditions. For example, fuel shipping containers are licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to ship specific maximum fuel enrichments (i.e., weight and weight-% U235) for each fuel assembly design. In order for a new shipping container design to receive licensing approval, it must be demonstrated to the satisfaction of the NRC that the new container design will meet the requirements of the NRC rules and regulations, including those defined in 10 CFR Section 71. These requirements define the maximum credible accident that the shipping container and its internal support structures must endure in order to maintain the subcriticality of the fuel assembly housed therein.
A new unirradiated fuel shipping package, designated the TRAVELLER™, shipping package, has been designed and recently licensed. The TRAVELLER™ shipping package represents the latest technology in unirradiated fuel transport as evidence by being the first package to be licensed with an actual fire test. The newly designed packages carry a single fuel assembly and require unique handling.
The TRAVELLER™ shipping packages are reusable shipping packages designed for the safe transport of a single unirradiated fuel assembly with or without core components. The package also provides shock and vibration isolation and protects the fuel assembly from damage during normal handling and shipping. The package consists of an aluminum square inner clamshell which is attached to an outer-pack by means of rubber shock mounts. The outerpack consists of outer and inner stainless steel shells encasing closed cell polyurethane foam for impact and thermal protection. The clamshell is an aluminum structure comprised of a “V” base, two hinged doors, a bottom and top plate and a hinged top accessed door. The doors are latched by means of quarter turn fasteners. Spring loaded plungers on both sides of the nuts positively restrain each nut during shipping and handling, and precludes any invertant opening of the latch. A more complete understanding of the design of the TRAVELLER™ shipping package can be obtained from U.S. Pat. No. 6,748,042, issued Jun. 8, 2004.
In the horizontal position in which the TRAVELLER™ shipping package is transported, the package has a nominal width of 27.1 inches (68.83 cm) and a nominal height of 39.3 inches (99.82 cm). The length of the shipping package will vary depending upon the length of the fuel assembly being shipped but typically is between 197 (500.38 cm) and 226 inches (574.04 cm). The TRAVELLER™ shipping package 10 outerpack 12 handling features are shown in FIG. 1. Brackets 14 to accept a forklift are located on the bottom of the outerpack 12. In addition, lifting eyes 16 are provided on the top outerpack 12 of each shipping package. There are eight lifting eyes total, two at each end of the outerpack top. Fuel assemblies are loaded and unloaded into and out of the TRAVELLER™ shipping package with the package uprighted in a vertical position. To upright the package 10, two hoist rings 18 are bolted to the forward end 22 of the TRAVELLER™ shipping package 10.
Special tooling is desired to upright the package for fuel assembly loading and unloading operations to avoid damaging the package and its contents so that the TRAVELLER™ shipping package can be reused indefinitely.